Facing Fear | ✓ ONC 2023 Honorable Mention

15 | Secrets and Soda

"Welcome back to Valor. Loading data."

Mori surfaced, standing in the meadow of the starting ring. Unlike the first time she'd entered Valor, she didn't need to shield her eyes against the sun. Darkness clouded the sky and instead of the sun or moon, a black heavenly body watched over the virtual world.

The air held a chill and Mori shivered as if unseen eyes weighed her in their gaze. She opened her full inventory view, but everything she'd gathered in her last life, miscellaneous meat drops, crystal shards, and all her equipment were gone. The only items in her possession were a standard pistol and knife. 

With a small huff, Mori swiped the window closed and enlarged her stats. Her mouth fell open. The bars for strength, speed, and agility had all risen by one star. Even though they still scored below average, Mori did a little victory dance over the improvement.

Until a woman's voice cut through her imagined music. "Am I interrupting something?"

Mori whirled around, tucking her hands behind her back with a sheepish smile. "No, not at all."

The other player wound a single braid of her long red hair around her fist before letting it unravel. Ripped jeans exposed her knees and a cat charm on a necklace chain hung over an oversized black sweater. 

"Do I know you?" Mori asked politely. "You seem familiar." She identified the player, but their tag 'IWantItThatWei' didn't ring any bells.

"We crossed paths about five months ago...in the sixth ring?" The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a sad glance at Mori.

"Oh..." Mori sucked in a breath. This was the player that had carried Shiori to her. "Thank you—for that. I'm sorry if I'm a little out of sorts. It was only a couple hours ago for me." Tears pricked her eyes, even though she thought they'd all been used up.

"Please, it was nothing and I'm so sorry for what happened." At Mori's sniffling, the woman hurried to say, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Wei and I was hired to wait for you here, though we weren't sure if you'd come." She held out her hand, palm flattened and face-up. The air above shimmered and dropped a sparkling blue gem onto it.

Is that? Mori stepped forward to take the jewel. Her earring. "Who hired you to wait here?" she asked.

"Ronin," Wei answered. "I wasn't in any hurry to head back into any dungeons after what happened, so it's been nice to do some light grinding here. That is, I've been asked to let you know that he wants to talk to you, given that you're agreeable to it and I can help you get there. Ronin said you never had an occassion to use teleportation crystals and you wouldn't have any pieces to craft one when you came back in." Wei rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, I'm not the greatest at explaining things."

Part of Mori shrunk from the possibility of confrontation but she steeled herself with the resolution she'd made. I said I'd make things right and that starts here. "I think you're doing great, Wei," Mori said to reassure her. "Are we able to use the crystal now?"

Wei summoned a cluster of pale pink crystals and handed them to Mori. "You can travel to any ring you've already been to by stating the ring's number. Ronin's waiting in Cyber City at the Golden Cat."

"Will you be coming?"

"My destination is the fifth ring but I might see you again later." Wei's smile was unsure, but somehow more comforting that way. Mori wondered what stories the other player could tell her about Shiori, what they'd been through as teammates and all the adventures they might've shared. Another time.

Mori cupped the small formation of glowing crystals in her hands. "Well then, see you later...aweigator." She laughed at the annoyed frown Wei leveled at her.